Other Neem Oil/Natural Repellent Users; Found ONE Flea Today, Freaking Out. ADVICE? (allergic, skin)

[VexedAndSolitary]

I have a 4lb senior chi from SPCA. I got her Oct 2016.

She had been dosed w/Revolution at the shelter so for the first month that was protecting her.

I've used oral flea meds in the past, when I lived in SoFl and it was really a must.

As I'm now in IN and she is old and frail I wanted to avoid all toxins so have used neem oil/vinegar since April when the weather got warm (used nothing Nov-Apr). I apply neem oil to her harness before EVERY walk and spray her down w/vinegar. Every single time.

She is white w/3 tan patches so fleas are easy to see. I bathe her every Wed w/Dawn, I have NEVER seen a flea nor flea dirt until today.
She spends a lot of time on my lap and I am constantly "looking" for fleas/flea dirt when I'm petting her.

Today I saw a FLEA I was able to grab it and rinse down the drain.

I am flea-paranoid. I am a neat freak and my condo is spotless. I really flipped.

I bathed her immediately in Dawn (her wkly baths are normally Wed); no other fleas/fleas dirt to be seen.
I have her bedding in the wash as I write this.
I vacuumed (laminate floors, no carpet).
I applied neem oil (I normally just put it on the harness not on her) to her rump and scruff.

Anyone have this happen when using the natural repellents, and did you still trust them afterwards?
Anyone recommend something better than neem? Best brand of neem? This is UpNature brand.

I'm really wigging out, someone talk me down

[LeeLee_88]

Make sure when you wash her bedding that you are washing everything on HOT (warm water won't kill the eggs). I would wash them twice, tbh.

And then when you dry them, dry them on HIGH heat (this kills whatever the hot water and detergent didn't).

I don't have any experience using "natural" alternatives (like neem oil), so I can't comment on that. Sorry.

P.S. Fleas hitch a ride on clothing (like the bottoms of your pant leg) and socks and shoes as well. (So you could actually bring in the flea yourself.) So make sure that anytime you are going in and out (esp on days when you've spent significant time outdoors), that you leave your shoes outside your door, and that wash your pants, socks, clothing right away. (The fleas need a host to survive, so if you bring one in, it will find your dog). Also make sure you don't leave anything dirty or that was sitting outdoors near your dog. Fleas will hop on any type of fabric.

[purehuman]

It's easy to just use the flea comb once a day and remove them...that's what I do...even people who've used the very toxic revolution etc are still finding fleas. just a bad year for them...I use diatomachious earth as well....might not get them all but it does get most of them, and that's good enough for this time of year.
On your small dog a flea comb would do well.

[gizmo980]

I don't mean this to be rude, but have you sought help (like a therapist) for your anxiety over this? I just feel badly for both you and the dog, if you can't even enjoy a good petting/lap session without hunting for fleas! I don't think anyone likes fleas, but there's a line between dislike and full-on phobia. Just sayin'.

There is also such a thing as over-bathing the dog, and perhaps that is counteracting the products? I don't know for sure, but it seems their natural oils do serve a purpose... and if you're constantly bathing and treating the dog, it might be undoing all your work in the process. Isn't that why you're not supposed to use flea products within a few days of a bath? My dog is actually allergic to fleas, so I have to act quickly if he shows any signs of them - but a monthly bath and topical flea/tick treatments as needed usually work. Climates might factor into this, however, and ours is usually quite mild/dry.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by LeeLee_88

So make sure that anytime you are going in and out (esp on days when you've spent significant time outdoors), that you leave your shoes outside your door, and that wash your pants, socks, clothing right away.

Sheesh... I could never stick to washing my clothes after EVERY trip outside! Unless you only venture out like 1-2x a week, isn't that overkill? But I guess for the OP, this wouldn't seem unreasonable.

(also matters if you have a washer/dryer inside your house - which I do not)

[VexedAndSolitary]

Thanks for the replies!

Update: I abandoned the neem oil and just spray w/vinegar before, but more thoroughly and then, as soon as we return from the walk, I go over her w/the flea (actually lice comb from whem my children were small) comb.
Haven't seen another flea, nor any flea dirt! and I do think I may've brought it in myself just as easy as she could have, as we walk through a section of dirt path at one point that has rabbits galore and high-ish vegetation. We walk for 2hours every day through several different kinds of terrain, but that area must be loaded w/fleas from all the rabbits/groundhogs/squirrels.

She's so wee it takes just 5min to go over her w/the comb; I don't even put her down, I just carry her in and straight to the kitchen counter for the combover. She likes it, it must feel nice I guess.

I stopped using Dawn and use my mositurizing shampoo instead as I feared the Dawn was drying her skin out. I'll use Dawn if I see another flea.